A group of mourners assembled at the site of a fatal accident Thursday to honour the memory of cyclist Salim Aoudia, 43, and to denounce what they consider dangerous conditions for Montreal cyclists.
As part of the ceremony, the mourners left a white bicycle, known as a ghost bike, at the site to honour the memory of the Universite de Montreal Electrical Engineering student who was slated to return to his homeland of Algeria for the first time in two years Thursday.
He was planning to get married on the trip.
"He was a very happy person, smiling all of the time," said relative Mehdi Abada. "He'd help everyone who asked. He was 43 and wanted to have a family. It was time. It's sad that he will never have that now."
Event co-organizer Gabrielle Anctil did not know Aoudia, who perished at about 9:15 a.m. on November 27 at Wellington and Nazareth, but believes it important to organize the event to shine light on vulnerable cyclists.
"This intersection was redone two years ago and there's not even a crossing path for pedestrians. What kind of a way is that to build cities in 2014? It blows my mind," Anctil told CTV Montreal Thursday.
Aoudi was dragged several hundred metres following the collision. The 62-year-old truck driver was treated for shock, as was a witness.
Following the death of cyclist Mathilde Blais in Montreal last April, a coroner's report recommended that side guards be installed onto trucks to avoid accidents with cyclists.
